Back To School

Every year, I go back to my alma mater, USC, to lecture freshmen business students. One of the most transformational moments of my life was when I decided to attend USC. Now, I can happily call them a client.

The class that I’m invited to is part of the Global Leadership Program. Every week, a guest lecturer, who is both an USC alum and runs a company, is invited to talk about life and business.

My brand is about motivation, inspiration, and goal achievement. Even though I discuss business principles, I don’t abandon my mission and try to impress the students with my business acumen, or impress them with words like “acumen”.

The head of the program is my beloved professor and friend who is now the dean. When I was there, Jim Ellis and I forged a friendship. My feeling is that Jim invited me to talk about dealing with challenges and inspire them with my story.

One of the challenges that I face, and one that many others face, is not embracing raw talent and using it to serve others. In the past, I assumed that motivation and inspiration were not enough and I had to be more. I had to market myself as a business speaker who happened to be disabled. Once I embraced who I was, my business and my life became easier.

One of the keys to success is knowing who you are and what you can offer. If I had embraced who I am earlier, the path to my success would have been a lot smoother. This does not mean that I did not have to invest whatever it took to become amazing. This meant that, before I even began, the foundation of success was already shaping.

Part of what is going to get you to amazing success is already ingrained in your soul and spirit. The first step is uncovering and celebrating what is going to get you to achieve your goals. The second step is to hone what you’re amazing at into a career that will inspire and support a lifestyle.